We're proud to be at centre of Europe, says Brown in most pro-EU speech of his life

The Prime Minister praised the organisation as 'uniquely placed' to lead the world out of the current crisis because it was the 'most successful endeavour in economic cooperation anywhere'.

He abandoned his traditionally cool - and sometimes antagonistic - attitude to tell Euro-MPs: 'I stand here today proud to be British and proud to be European, representing a country that does not see itself as an island adrift from Europe but as a country at the centre of Europe, not in Europe's slipstream but firmly in its mainstream.'

Gordon Brown addresses the European Parliament during a debate on the forthcoming London G20 summit

The charm offensive comes as Mr Brown seeks support from EU leaders,
ahead of next week's G20 summit, for his plans for countries to inject
yet more money into their economies.

He also urged the EU not to retreat into economic
protectionism and to agree international rules on transparency and
remuneration in the financial sector.

Aides said he had consciously decided to echo the tone of his
speech to the U.S. Congress earlier this month as he sought to build
consensus on fixing global economies.

On that occasion, the Premier paid expansive tribute to the 'irrepressible spirit' of the U.S.

Back
in Europe yesterday, however, he said it was time to sweep away the
'old Washington consensus' - the belief that markets are best left to
their own devices.

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The Prime Minister said the financial crisis had taught
countries that 'wealth is of no great value to society unless it serves
more than the wealthy'.

He said: 'As we have discovered to our cost, the problem of
unbridled free markets in an unsupervised marketplace is that they
reduce all relationships to transactions, all intentions to
self-interest, all sense of value to consumer choices, all sense of
worth to a price tag.'

During his years as Chancellor, Mr Brown became notorious
among his EU counterparts for his contemptuous attitude to their
institutions. He sometimes removed headphones providing translation of
other speakers.

As Prime Minister, he prompted anger in Brussels by turning up
late for the December 2007 signing of the Lisbon Treaty, which ushers
in an EU constitution and scraps many of Britain's vetoes.

Critics said he was embarrassed to be seen signing after Labour broke a pledge to hold a referendum on the treaty.

Yesterday Mr Brown risked reopening the controversy by saying he was 'proud' to have got it through Parliament.

The Prime Minister directly addressed the suggestion that he has been sceptical of the EU.

He said: ' I know some critics suggested that I supported global
action more because I supported European action less. But I have made
this case so strongly for so long precisely because I passionately want
Europe to be leading on the world stage.'

Saying EU countries together could deliver 'the biggest fiscal
stimulus the world has ever seen', Mr Brown said: 'Friends, today there
is no old Europe, no new Europe, no East or West Europe. There is only
one Europe - and it is our home Europe.'

An overview of the packed chamber during his speech: The Prime Minister took an uncharacteristically pro-European stance

In his first speech to the parliament, the Prime Minister
lavished praise on the EU's achievements, describing it as a 'beacon of
hope for the whole world'. He even praised the 'consumer and workplace
rights' opposed by many British businesses and employers.

Mr Brown's warm words appeared designed to contrast with David
Cameron's decision to withdraw his MEPs from the centre-Right grouping
in the parliament because of its support for greater EU integration.

But the Prime Minister also delivered a tough message on
protectionism, urging EU leaders to remember the bloody history of
nationalism on the continent. Mr Brown said: 'If there's anything we
know from history it's that protectionism is the politics of defeatism,
retreat and fear and in the end protects no one at all.'

Brown's charm offensive was designed to win the support of European leaders for more big bail-outs of their stricken economies

British officials have privately expressed concern about
'covert protectionism' such as French subsidies for firms which then
relocate production from Eastern Europe back to France.

But Mr
Brown's warning brought a sharp response from Joseph Daul, chairman of
the centre-Right European People's Party grouping and a close ally of
French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

He said: 'It's not enough, Mr Brown, to condemn protectionism abroad.

'You must also avoid slogans such as "British jobs for British
workers" at home. That's picking at a scab on the wound of dangerous
nationalism.'

Timothy Kirkhope, Tory leader in Brussels, said: 'Gordon Brown
might be trying to forge a European consensus but the only consensus
he's likely to get is that he has led Britain into a recession that
will be deeper and longer than in most other parts of the world.

'He has apparent answers for everything except how the UK can escape being the sick man of Europe once again.'

The Prime Minister's speech came on the first leg of a five-day tour that will take him to New York and across South America.

Officials rejected Tory criticism of the trip as inappropriate
at a time when British jobs are vanishing. One said it was vital to
build 'global solutions' to the financial crisis.

But Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague said: 'The French
president and the German finance minister have held up Gordon Brown's
policies as examples of what not to do'.